Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released September 30, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Tom Kruchten at (202) 690-4870, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Broiler Eggs Set In 15 Selected States Up 4 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 169 million eggs during the week ending September 26, 1998. This was up 4 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 81 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 136 million chicks for meat production during the week ending September 26, 1998. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through September 26, 1998 were 5.30 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on October 7, 1998. Subscription Information To subscribe to NASS reports or to order single copies, call toll free, 1-800-999-6779. You may write: ERS/NASS, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. Pou 2-2 (9-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 22 : Aug 29 : Sep 5 : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,375 25,489 *25,738 23,861 25,634 25,561 AR : 28,643 29,126 28,822 *28,119 *28,468 27,763 DE : 4,164 4,322 4,203 4,009 3,837 4,344 FL : 2,565 2,530 2,373 2,502 2,546 2,792 GA : 31,603 31,242 *30,914 30,196 *30,386 29,570 MD : 8,866 8,901 8,668 8,624 8,515 8,714 MS : 18,132 18,119 18,023 17,634 16,055 16,360 NC : 17,268 17,108 *16,010 15,772 15,803 15,702 PA : 3,625 3,605 3,929 3,479 *3,491 3,773 SC : 4,453 4,324 4,452 4,409 4,470 4,444 TX : 13,038 12,923 12,577 12,547 12,609 13,988 VA : 6,583 6,537 6,237 6,248 *5,989 6,012 CA, TN, & WV : 11,104 11,148 *10,836 10,208 *9,119 10,222 : 15 State Total: 175,419 175,374 *172,782 *167,608 *166,922 169,245 : Previous Year : 173,390 171,838 170,673 162,806 164,036 162,951 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 102 101 103 102 104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 22 : Aug 29 : Sep 5 : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,393 18,452 18,613 18,504 18,443 19,482 AR : 22,373 22,642 22,514 *22,848 *22,447 22,558 DE : 4,724 5,249 5,198 5,082 *5,194 5,546 FL : 2,302 *2,495 *2,568 2,352 2,588 2,036 GA : 23,577 24,073 23,898 24,803 *24,650 24,494 MD : 6,532 6,218 6,209 5,997 *6,326 5,224 MS : 14,437 14,111 14,175 14,244 14,537 14,728 NC : 13,487 *13,186 *13,428 *13,489 13,051 12,557 PA : 2,613 2,496 2,729 2,613 *2,724 2,841 SC : 4,180 3,842 4,170 4,169 3,271 3,163 TX : 9,497 9,415 *9,600 *9,924 *9,882 9,652 VA : 5,280 5,134 5,274 5,395 *5,285 5,009 CA, TN, & WV : 8,768 10,564 9,388 9,802 *9,677 8,729 : 15 State Total: 137,163 *137,877 *137,764 *139,222 *138,075 136,019 : Previous Year : 136,937 137,157 137,974 137,890 137,962 136,917 : Pct. of Prev. : 100 101 100 101 100 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.